1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a numerical control system and method, and particularly to a numerical control system and method for laser cutting an SMT (Surface Mount Technology) stencil.
2. Description of Prior Art
Laser cutting equipment is highly specialized precision machining and manufacturing facility. As a sunrise industry in the 21-century, the laser cutting industry is actively supported and developed by the developed countries, such as European countries, USA, and Japan. Currently, LPKF Laser and Electronics of Germany is the world's leading manufacturer of precision laser cutting equipment. American companies have substantially withdrawn from competition since the mechanical stability of their products is not as good as those from Germany. The Japanese products are of a lower quality level than those from Europe and America both in the software and hardware aspects, and thus finding no position in the market. Taiwanese products, which are simply duplicates of the Germany products, are still in the testing stage and employ general software rather than specific CAM (Computer Aided Machining) software. The servo driving and mechanical transmission are accomplished by linear guides, not the combination of a linear motor and a gas levitation system. In addition, both the characteristics and machining precision of the laser system and optical imaging system are not sufficient.
In the current electronic industry, the market cycle becomes increasingly short, and the quality requirement becomes increasingly high. Specifically, for printing stencils, which act as a mold in the SMT machining process, the quality requirements must be completely satisfied except for on-time delivery. To fulfill this purpose, a computer aided manufacturing system is preferred.
Accordingly, a numerical control system and method for laser cutting an SMT stencil is desired.